Ray Gronberg, Herald-Sun:Violent crime in Durham up 32% in '06 — Violent crime in Durham spiked by 32 percent in 2006 and hit a five-year high that wiped out the gains police made last year in fighting property offenses, city officials said Monday.

The increase -- evident in several earlier reports from the Durham Police Department -- occurred in all classes of violent crime except homicides.

related:News14 Carolina:Chief delivers Durham crime report (3/6/07) — Police say violent crime in Durham is at its highest level in five years. They counted 488 reports of violent crime in the final months of 2006, bringing the yearly total to nearly 2,000.

Durham police chief Steve Chalmers delivered the news to city council Monday in his fourth quarter crime report. He said robberies, aggravated assaults and rapes are all at five-year highs but homicides dropped below the national FBI average for cities of equal size...

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News & Observer:Coverage of officer's death upsets chief (3/5/07) — Police Chief Steve Chalmers is unhappy with the media coverage of the death of a police officer who was killed while on his way to help another officer on a traffic stop. A police spokeswoman sent a message from Chalmers to neighborhood e-mail groups Sunday in which the chief defended the department's investigation and response to the Feb. 17 death of Charles Callemyn.

"I was saddened and disappointed by the media coverage of Officer Callemyn's death and my department in the wake of his accident," Chalmers said. . .

Chief Steve Chalmers, saying he was just back from vacation, first learned of Nifong's decision to dismiss rape charges against David Evans, Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann from a Herald-Sun reporter.

The highest-profile case in the city's history; and police officials were caught unawares that Nifong dropped the rape charge? . . .

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KC Johnson:Keystone Cops (12/4/06) — In 2004, the Durham Police Department adopted a new promotion policy. The former policy, according to a department document, “heavily emphasized national criteria and an officer’s knowledge of national standards and practices.”

As we have seen over the last eight months, these qualities appear to be in rare supply among members of the Durham force, so it’s no wonder Chief Steven Chalmers wanted to abandon them. . .

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News & Observer:Chalmers' daughter indicted in assault (11/28/06) — A grand jury indicted the daughter of Durham's police chief Monday in a felony assault case. Stefanie Chalmers, 26, was charged in June with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury in connection with an incident in April. Authorities say Chalmers hit a woman with a motor vehicle.

The case against Chalmers, the daughter of Durham Police Chief Steve Chalmers, is being prosecuted by the state Attorney General's Office. . .

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LieStoppers:Bizzaro Police Chief (9/21/06) — In Bizarro PD Land, however, police policies that violate civil rights are applauded by the Chief when they are adhered to, while violations of police policy that conforms to civil rights and Supreme Court recommendations are apparently accepted by Chief Chalmers. . .

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Michael Biesecker, News & Observer:Police OK'd Duke crackdown (9/18/06) — Durham chief says an officer tough on Duke students was part of an effort to fight rowdy parties - Durham's police chief says one of his officers was just doing his job last year when he aggressively cracked down on partying college students in the city's Trinity Park neighborhood. . .

related:Melanie Sill, News & Obserer Editor's blog:The chief speaks: Why that matters (9/18/06) — Durham police Chief Steve Chalmers defends Sgt. Mark Gottlieb, the lead investigator in the Duke lacrosse case, in a story today by Michael Biesecker. Chalmers told The N&O that Gottlieb was carrying out Chalmers' orders and a department initiative in cracking down on rowdy behavior among Duke students in the Trinity Park neighborhood early this year.

Chalmers' comments added valuable information and context. That's why it's a shame that the chief refused our interview requests for a recent profile of Gottlieb that reported on his role in the Duke lacrosse case and his recent history in getting tough with some students. If Chalmers had granted an interview then, the first story would have been more complete and accurate.

Chalmers has refused to answer our questions on the lacrosse case almost since its inception, taking a no-comment approach all too popular with public officials. . .

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LieStoppers:Bizarro PD Land (9/16/06) — Two days after Durham Police Chief Chalmers gave his press conference, absolving his officers for employing racial slurs, and assuring the public of his confidence that his officers did not violate drunk driving laws, I remain amazed by the transparency of Mr. Chalmers words of absolution. . .

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John in Carolina:Responding to Reader's Comments (6/28/06) — Chief Chalmers hasn’t been seen in public for months, although we’re told he’s following the Duke lacrosse case just as closely as the rest of us.

No kidding. Our police chief (Full disclosure: I’m a Durham resident.) really hasn’t been seen in public in months but, Durham being Durham, who’s concerned or surprised?

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Tamara Gibbs, ABC11 TV/WTVD:Chalmers Facing Questions of Special Treatment (6/23/06) — Stefanie Chalmers ended up in handcuffs Tuesday in connection with an incident that happened two-months ago leaving some people to wonder if the police chief's daughter is getting special treatment.

When someone is arrested, procedure dictates that law enforcement officials should check for any outstanding warrants or summons for court. It appears that's not the case for Stefanie Chalmers the daughter of Durham's Police Chief, Steve Chalmers.

She was a no-show in traffic court on Thursday for a handicap parking violation. Just a few days before, she was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon for an incident that happened two months ago on North Roxboro Street...